A system monitoring driver alertness warns of the driver's negligence in keeping his eyes forward while monitoring his facial expressions in this file photo. Hyundai Motor's fuel-cell electric buses driven at the Olympic venues feature the system. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

By Park Jae-hyukHyundai Motor is set to offer financial support and 4,100 vehicles to transport athletes, government officials and workers at the world's largest winter sporting event.Along with its sister company, Kia Motors, the tier-one sponsor of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics will provide sedans, vans and buses, as well as its futuristic autonomous vehicles.Throughout the international event, the company will also showcase its next-generation hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles and buses.According to the nation's leading carmaker, the buses will feature a system monitoring driver alertness to maintain safety.Monitoring facial expressions of drivers in real time, the system warns of their negligence. It counts frequency and duration of drivers' blinks and yawns so as to raise the alarm when they appear tired or drowsy.If drivers are negligent in keeping their eyes forward while driving, the system will sound an alarm.Proper warning messages for each situation will be displayed on the bus's dashboard with a loud warning. In addition, Hyundai said it would connect the system to wearable devices, such as smart watches, so drivers can be alerted through vibrations.The carmaker will offer its third-generation hydrogen-powered electric buses as intra-city buses during the Olympics."For the safety of the many visitors to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, we will operate fuel-cell electric vehicles equipped with cutting-edge technologies," a Hyundai Motor official said. "We will continue our efforts to improve the safety of commercial vehicles, even after the Olympics."Hyundai said the company and the organizing committee will set up bus stops at Gangneung Station and the south gate of Olympic Park. The bus stops for the hydrogen-powered buses feature the latest technologies, according to the company.Visitors can get information through LED screens installed at the bus stops. This is not the first time Hyundai Motor has provided its vehicles for international events held here. The company has already demonstrated its technical skills to the world by offering fuel-cell electric buses for the 2010 G-20 Seoul Summit and the 2012 Yeosu Expo in South Jeolla Province.